Speaker 1: 8 Customer Service Skills Every Employee Should Know How you deal with customers can make or break your business. Good customer service is a skill every employee who interacts with clients must develop. 8 Important Customer Service Skills Empathy Empathy is the ability to understand and connect with a customer's feelings, even when you can't fix it. You can't always give the customer the answer they want, but if you show you care and strive to steer them in the right direction, the interaction will go smoothly. Patience Patience is one of the most important customer service skills. The key is understanding how it feels on the other side. Maintain composure to provide top-notch service and solve the problem. Clear communications Getting to the heart of the problem is critical to solving the customer's issue. Employees must be clear about what they can and can't do. Don't overstate or oversell. Knowledge of the product Customers find it annoying when their questions can't be answered. Failing to understand what you're selling creates mistrust with your customers. Keep language positive Positive language puts a good face on the business and makes the customers feel at ease. Read between the lines Reading between the lines helps to not misread a customer and lose them due to miscommunication. Listen carefully to the tone of voice for clues about mood and patience level. Quick learning Sometimes a customer throws a curve for which you're not prepared. The ability to think fast, react, and solve the problem means the difference between a satisfied and unhappy customer. Ability to close This means ending the interaction between the employee and customer, not just a sale. The goal is to end the engagement with a satisfied customer, or as close as you can get. Almost every successful business is successful because they have excellent customer service. Without customers buying your product or service, your company wouldn't exist. Check out the A Better Answer blog for more helpful tips at abetteranswer.com slash blog